


What's in a Name

by IncendiaGlacies



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Gen, Post-Series, Timeship Week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 06:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12293355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: Four times Gideon calls Jax ‘Mr. Jackson’. And one time she she calls him ‘Jax’. Also known as Jax’ pov on his Time ParentsWritten for Timeship Week 2017. Day Seven: Post series





	What's in a Name

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this up rather quickly, so it might not be that good. And I cheated a little since only a small part is post series. It’s also more just Jax and Rip, and Jax and Gideon because I really do love Jax to no end. 
> 
> The Timeship can be read as friendship only if you like. Enjoy!

1.

“Mr. Jackson, please refrain from playing with the control panel. You will mess up my circuitry and cause me great distress.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, Gideon,” Jax rolled his eyes as he dismissed the computer’s voice, “And would it kill you to call me Jax?”

“Protocol dictates to refer to you by the proper-”

“But I like being called Jax,” the young man complained.

“I am not programmed to do so,” Gideon rebutted.

“Well how about I just reprogram you, I mean you’re just a computer after all,” Jax glared at the ceiling with crossed arms. They’d barely even been on the ship for a week but the stupid computer was really getting on his nerves. Never letting him do anything, always fabricating him vegetables. Like she was his mother!

“Don’t you dare touch Gideon!” Rip barked as he sauntered onto the bridge, “And apologize to her.”

“What for?” Jax asked the futuristic Captain.

“For calling her a computer!”

“She is though!”

“Gideon, is a state of the art Artificial Intelligence. She’s perfectly capable of individual thought and emotions and has enough free will to lock you in your room with no regrets even if I asked her to let you out. Now, apologize to her.”

“I’m sorry, Gideon,” Jax begrudgingly apologized.

“I can sense in your tone that it’s not completely sincere, but I accept your apology Mr. Jackson,” Gideon responded in her usual chipper voice.

“Don’t ever talk to her that way again,” Rip said quietly yet seriously, “Just because she doesn’t have a physical form doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show her some respect.”

“This is important to you, isn’t it?” Jax asked.

“She’s my best friend,” Rip shrugged easily, “She’s always been there for me. And I won’t stand for someone treating her for anything less than she is.” Rip walked away after that leaving Jax to ponder over many things, including the strange relationship the Captain seemed to have with his ship.

 

* * *

 

 

2.

“Would you like to talk about it?”

Jax glanced at the ceiling, “No. Not with you anyways.”

“Research shows that sometimes it is easier to talk about what is bothering a person if there is no physical form to look at. It normally helps Captain Hunter to voice his thoughts to me,” Gideon offered.

“I don’t wanna talk about it!” Jax repeated, “Besides, he’s your Captain and you guys are – whatever. Aren’t you supposed to be finding out where Savage is at anyways?”

“I am fully capable of running a cross analysis of the timeline and holding a conversation, Mr. Jackson.”

“I hate it when you call me that!” Jax complained, keeping his mind off the real reason he was annoyed, “Why can’t you call me Jax?”

“She’s showing you respect.” Jax turned and saw the Captain leaning against the door of his bedroom.

“What?”

“When she calls you Mr. Jackson, it’s a term of respect from her. It’s if she calls you by your first name, that’s when you’re in trouble,” Rip shuddered remembering what had happened last time, “It means she likes you.”

“Sure,” Jax conceded, “What, did Grey send you here to talk to me or something?”

“Actually Gideon did,” Rip eyed the ceiling, “She’s worried about you.”

Jax snorted at that, “For someone that isn’t human she sure acts like it.”

“Yes, she does,” Rip’s tone didn’t have the normal anger when lecturing the Legends about treating Gideon properly. It held wonder and pride for her. “She thought that if you didn’t want to talk to her, you might want to talk to me. Since for some reason you’re avoiding Martin. Though, I must warn you, Gideon has been known to have more emotional capacities than I do at times.”

Jax laughed at that and gestured Rip to take a seat on the bed next to him. As Rip sat down Jax offered, “Alright then. Guess I gotta talk to both of you then.” He wondered if this was how a teenager felt when talking to both their parents about what was wrong with them. It certainly felt that way to Jax.

 

* * *

 

 

3.

“So what do you think? Can you fix it in time?” Rip asked as they stepped away from the engines.

“Man, I don’t know why you keep asking me to do this stuff,” Jax complained, “If we’re going to be Time Masters then you need the best working on this ship.”

“That’s why I’m asking you,” Rip said obviously.

Jax blinked, “I’m a car mechanic. What makes you think I’m any good to be the permanent engineer for this timeship?” Emphasis on the fact that it was a time machine!

“Jax, you’ve read the instruction manual, you’ve fixed the jumpship twice now and you’ve had experience with fixing the engines plenty of times. Of course you’re going to be the chief engineer.” Jax was somewhat surprised at how easily Rip believed in him. “Besides, it was Gideon’s idea. And I trust her judgement.”

“Wait really?” Jax looked at the ceiling. Rip may have been Captain of the ship, but Jax was quickly realizing that it was Gideon who actually had all the control over it. And it seemed to be something Rip already knew very well, given the way he treated her. As a partner rather than an assistant.

“Of course, Mr. Jackson,” Gideon assured him, “You have proven to be a quick learner and strategic thinker. I believe you will do very well.”

Jax felt a strange sensation of happiness and pride from Gideon’s words of encouragement. He wondered if this was how Rip always felt with Gideon supporting him, like he was invincible. He looked back at the Captain and found a smile on the man’s face. It was rare to see it after the loss of his family, it only made Jax happier.

“You know, you’ve slowly started calling me Jax more. She still calls me Mr. Jackson,” Jax teased lightly.

Rip shrugged as he patted the wall, “She’s old fashioned like that. And stubborn. The more you ask her to do something, the more she’s going to resist. If only to annoy you.”

“Unless it’s you,” Jax pointed out.

“Ah, especially with me,” Rip corrected, “You just haven’t seen an actual argument between us. Gideon always wins. She’s just nice enough to let you all think I have the power as her Captain. But I know how it works. Now, get your tools, I’ll help you out.”

“Thanks,” Jax told him. Then he lightly touched the wall as Rip had, “And thank you, Gideon.” As Jax walked away he could hear the two of them still conversing.

“I hope you’re right about this.”

“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” Gideon’s voice sounded offended.

Rip let out a laugh, “Sorry, of course you’re always right. What was I thinking?”

“Well I certainly was about you. Trust me, Captain.”

“Oh Gideon,” Rip sighed, “Sometimes I think you’re the only one I do trust.”

 

* * *

 

 

4.

Jax lay back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling, “Gideon? You there?”

“Yes, Mr. Jackson? How can I help you?” Gideon’s voice echoed in the dark room.

“I don’t need anything,” Jax told her, “I just wanted to see if you wanted to talk or something?”

“About?”

“Rip’s gone.”

“Yes,” Gideon agreed.

“And you’ve been really quiet lately. You miss him, don’t you?” Jax asked.

“Of course, he’s my Captain.” Jax knew that. She had only recently started referring to Sara as Captain Lance. It was weird to hear Gideon give anyone else the title that was expressly reserved for Rip.

“Yeah, and you love him,” Jax said. It had taken him a while to realize this fact. Why Gideon cared and worried so much about her Captain. It took him even longer to realize that Rip probably felt the same way about Gideon. They loved each other in some way or another, what else could it be after so many years of partnership?

“AIs cannot feel such emotions. My priority is Captain Hunter’s safety and happiness. Everything else is secondary. And I have failed in my primary purpose.”

“You didn’t fail, Gideon,” Jax sat up wanting to erase the sadness in her voice, “We’ll find him. He’s out there somewhere.”

“I certainly hope so, Mr. Jackson,” Gideon responded.

“So you can feel hope but not love?” Jax teased bringing up her earlier lie.

Gideon stayed silent for a few moments before quietly answering, “Love is a very big word. And very scary.”

“Does Rip know you feel this way?” Jax asked. That she was so afraid to express herself like this. How she felt for Rip.

“He’s always known. I’ve never had to say anything,” Gideon explained softly. Of course not, because Gideon did everything for Rip with love. Fabricated his breakfast, turned up the temperature, made sure he got to bed properly. Then he thought of everything Rip did for Gideon in return. Talked to her about everything, never overrode her even though he could, lectured the Legends about treating her properly. And he always treated her like a person.

“For what it’s worth,” Jax offered, his voice barely above a whisper, “I think he feels the same about you.”

“I know.” Of course she did.

 

* * *

 

 

+1

“You know, you don’t have to do this,” Jax repeated.

Rip simply rolled his eyes at him, “Of course I do. Every Time Master needs a working AI to partner with. Even with this new team, you need someone to depend on for all your queries of the timeline.”

“You’ve said. Multiple times,” Jax groaned. He forgot how much Rip used to lecture them all in the early days.

“Well then stop asking. It’s my ship.”

“Actually, it’s mine now,” Jax reminded him from the Captain’s seat.

Rip looked down at him from where he was standing and smiled, “Yes, I suppose it is. And I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more. Sara agrees.”

“You gonna miss her?” Jax asked. Rip frowned at him in confusion so Jax clarified, “The Waverider?”

“No,” Rip assured him, “I never had any attachment to the Waverider. It’s just a ship. I’m already taking everything I need with me. Oh, I think she’s done.”

“The AI of the ship has now been properly integrated, and she’s awaiting your commands, Captain Jackson.”

“Thank you, Gideon,” Jax smiled at the woman who walked over to them. Gideon nodded once before stepping into Rip’s open arms as he easily slung an arm around her waist. It had been years since she had gotten a body for herself, she looked exactly how Rip had always pictured her in his mind, brown waves of hair and striking grey eyes. To this day, Jax was still a little miffed she wasn’t a redhead.

“Captain Jackson, meet Grace,” Gideon introduced. Immediately a blue avatar head just like Gideon used to be popped up on the console.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain Jackson,” her accent was American and her voice had a slightly higher pitch than Gideon’s did. But it held the same range of emotion as Gideon always had.

“And you as well,” Jax nodded at her. With that the avatar disappeared.

“You’ll want to set up your override codes with her just in case. Random words and they should only work with your voice command,” Rip informed him.

“Yes, I know,” Jax groaned. He was hardly a little kid anymore, Rip had to stop treating him like one. “What happens to Gideon?” Even as a human she had always been connected to the Waverider, able to control it with only a thought.

“Grace and I are connected in a way. She has parts of my base code.” That would explain why she had the same inflections as Gideon. “Grace has full immediate command of the Waverider, but should you ever need anything, she can contact me easily.”

“What, help from you two old timers?” Jax teased them. In truth they weren’t even that old (well Gideon was, but she used to be an AI, years older than any of them) but Rip did have some grey hairs coming in. He insisted it was from all the stress the Legends had given him over the years.

“Don’t be rude, Captain Jackson,” Gideon scolded him as always, “And I hope it goes without saying that you are to look after my ship properly.”

“Your ship?” Jax raised an eyebrow.

“Obviously. I’m simply loaning her to you. I expect her back once you retire, in working condition,” Gideon told him.

“And what are you guys going to do now that you’re retiring?” Jax couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe we’ll settle down, live the quiet life somewhere on an English hillside,” Rip sighed at the idyllic fantasy.

“That sounds rather boring,” Gideon whined with a frown.

“You would think that, you adrenaline junkie,” Rip teased her as he placed a kiss in her hair before correcting himself, “Well, a slow and quiet life for us, anyways.”

“So not at all,” Jax clarified. Those two wouldn’t know what to do with themselves in a quiet life. “Well, I’ll miss you. It’s weird, being in charge of all these people now.”

“You’ll be great,” Rip promised him, “Besides, this isn’t goodbye. We still have your farewell party later tonight. Clarissa’s hosting, remember?”

“I’m the one that gave you the invite,” Jax reminded him.

“Still, Captain Jackson, we couldn’t be prouder,” Gideon smiled at him.

Jax crossed his arms and challenged her, “You know Gideon, as Captain of the Waverider. I have an order for you. Call me Jax, we both know Rip’s going to be your only Captain anyways.”

Gideon raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Rip, who grinned at her. Then she did something unexpected. She came up and wrapped her arms around him. Gideon wasn’t tactile with anyone but Rip.

“We are very proud of you, Jax. And for the record, you earned the title of Captain,” Gideon told him quietly. Jax held on tightly, Gideon’s support really was everything.

“We believe in you,” Rip added as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Jax wasn’t having any of that and grabbed the older man into a hug as well. The three of them stood there in their embrace for a while.

“I’m gonna miss you guys,” Jax repeated as he let go of them.

“We’re never too far if you need us,” Gideon promised.

“Captain,” Rip held out a hand for him, “Good luck.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Jax responded in kind as he shook Rip’s hand. Jax watched as the two of them exited together – partners for life, the two of them. Rip really was taking the only thing that mattered to him from the ship. Jax couldn’t help but feel a pang when he realized they wouldn’t be coming back. They made the Waverider a home for him, and now it was his alone.

Jax sat down in his Captain’s seat and contemplated his options. He had the farewell dinner to get to before picking up his team at the Bureau. But it wasn’t a timeship for nothing…

“Grace?” Jax called.

“Yes, Captain Jackson?” Grace answered easily.

“Plot a course.”

“Where to?” Grace asked.

“Somewhere amazing.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to have Gideon stay as the AI and Rip hand her and the Waverider over to Jax at the end. But it was too painful to consider separating Rip and Gideon. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Consider leaving kudos or comments with your thoughts?


End file.
